STREAMING is now massive. If you’re in search of a stick for your TV, which should you buy?
In this Amazon Fire TV Stick vs Roku explainer, I’ve outlined the key different to help you narrow down your choice.
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, £59.99 – buy from Amazon
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K, £49.99– buy from Roku
The current era of TVs is all smart televisions, which means they all come with smart hubs that allow you to stream.
However, for those with older screens or terrible smart platforms that don’t have the apps you want, streaming sticks and boxes are a godsend.
Google, Amazon, Apple, and Roku all create high-end streaming sticks, so picking the right one takes a bit of work – luckily we’ve done the hard work and compared two of those brands in this article.
While this explainer will cover Amazon’s and Roku’s streaming devices, we’ve broken down the differences between Google’s and Amazon’s streaming devices in our Chromecast vs. Fire TV Stick explainer.
If you’ve got your heart set on an Amazon streaming device, then we’ve also got a Fire Stick TV Cube vs Fire Stick explainer to help you decide if paying a premium is worth it.
If you tick those boxes or simply want to join the streaming, read on to find out which is the best option for you.
Fire TV Stick vs Roku: Differences at a glance
While both devices do what they say on the box – stream shows and movies straight to your TV through a Wi-Fi connection – there are a few differences that could steer you towards a specific choice.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick is far more familiar and is likely to be most people’s go-to, and it’s not unjustified since it supports features like Dolby Atmos, whereas the Roku Stick doesn’t.
However, that doesn’t mean there’s no competition: the Roku Stick isn’t locked into Amazon services like the Fire Stick, so it’s compatible with other smart devices from Google and Apple.
Fire TV Stick vs Roku: Picture and sound
It’s worth remembering that both the Roku and Fire Stick have 4K variants. If you’re not picking those devices, then you’ll be streaming in 1080p.
While 4K devices are the only way to achieve the higher resolution, if the TV isn’t a 4K TV, you’ll be forking out extra cash for no real reason.
Roku and the Fire TV Stick also have Dolby Vision HDR, and, for anyone unfamiliar with the confusing TV jargon, that means programs and shows are optimised for your TV’s specs enhancing the viewing experience by consistently improving the way that shows are displayed.
Sound is where the Fire TV Stick stands apart from the Roku device. The Roku Streaming stick lacks spatial Dolby audio, so while it will do its best to create a surround sound feel, it’s not quite up to the standard of Dolby Atmos that the Amazon Fire Stick has.
Fire TV Stick vs Roku: Price and availability
Streaming devices have soared in popularity, so it should come as no surprise that both are readily available in online retailers.
Remember, streaming sticks, especially the Amazon Fire TV Stick, often go on sale during events like Black Friday and Prime Day.
If you want to stay up to date on sales and deals and see if you can grab a bargain before the big sale events, bookmark our Amazon Device Deals page.
It’s constantly updated with the best deals on Fire Sticks and other Amazon-specific devices.
Here’s a short list of places you can get one so you can spend more time streaming and less time shopping around.
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, £59.99 – buy from Amazon
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, £59.99 – buy from Argos
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, £59.99 – Buy from Currys
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K, £49.99– buy from Roku
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K, £49.99– buy from Argos
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K, £49.99 – buy from Currys
Fire TV Stick vs Roku: Features
Features for many of the big-name streaming sticks are actually very similar. Disney+, Spotify, Amazon Video, Netflix, and other well-known apps are all neatly bundled into one easy-to-use home screen, so there’s no longer a need to have multiple apps open or switch between devices on your TV if your television does not store all your applications in one place.
The apps available are essentially the same, so you’ll not miss out on any services.
The Fire Stick works best with Amazon Alexa, so if you have a preexisting Amazon ecosystem, it’ll be a great addition. You’ll be able to control it with your voice from whatever room has Amazon Alexa devices.
Despite Amazon’s dominance in smart home systems, not everyone has followed that path, and this is where the Roku device might be the better choice.
The Roku Stick is compatible with Apple AirPlay, Apple Home, Alexa and Google Home, so if you’ve got a variety of devices, this will connect to all of them.
If you live in a slightly larger home or struggle to maintain a connection in certain rooms, the Roku device is likely to be the standout choice.
It also comes with a USB power cable that has a built-in long-range Wi-Fi receiver, meaning you can avoid latency and buffering.
If you’re a fan of VPNs either to protect your privacy or stream shows from different countries, only the Amazon Fire Stick is compatible with VPNs right out of the box.
Fire TV Stick vs Roku: Design
Both choices are a simple rectangle that you plug into the back of your TV, so you won’t be seeing it either way if you’re worried about aesthetics.
The devices’ rectangular black boxes may be more pleasing to the eye, but they can be a little inconvenient if the back of your TV is a bit busy, as you’ll have to make some space for them.
Fire TV Stick vs Roku: Remotes
While they both have the same apps available, if you’re after a simplistic life and get more out of simply pressing one button to launch your desired service, there are a couple of differences in what’s offered on the remote controls.
The Roku remote has quick-press buttons for Spotify, Disney+, Netflix and Apple TV, whereas the Fire Stick comes with Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Amazon Music.
Outside of the slightly different buttons, they’re both able to be controlled with your voice.
Fire TV Stick vs Roku: Verdict
Here, do the usual H3 ‘Choose if…’ with a bullet-pointed list of reasons for both.
Choose the Roku Streaming Stick if:
- You’ve got a varied smart home eco-system
- You’re more frequently use Spotify and Apple TV
- You struggle to maintain a wi-fi connection throughout your home
Choose the Amazon Fire TV Stick if:
- You have an Amazon eco-system
- You want slightly better spatial audio, e.g. Dolby Atmos
- You use a VPN
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, £59.99 – buy from Amazon
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, £59.99 – buy from Argos
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, £59.99 – Buy from Currys
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K, £49.99– buy from Roku
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K, £49.99– buy from Argos
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K, £49.99 – buy from Currys
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